Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Exhibit Article in The Tennessean (the Nashville newspaper)

‘Culinary Drama’ spices up The Arts Company

MiChelle Jones, For The Tennessean;
2:48 a.m. CDT June 20, 2014

Knoxville-based
artist Denise Stewart-Sanabria has a way with food. Her latest
exhibition at The Arts Company includes several overhead views of fruit
and produce — eggplants, mangoes, apples, etc. — painted in a way that
makes them seem fresh, enticing and also a little mischievous.
“Culinary
Drama” remains on view through June 28 and includes “Smashed Watermelon
on Mid-Century Pink and Avocado Tile.” In this oil-on-wood painting, a
round watermelon sits spilling its bright red guts, yet still wearing
its produce label.
The pink and green tile also makes an
appearance in “The Battle of Goo Goo Moon” (36 inches by 36 inches), oil
on canvas. This painting shares the look of Stewart-Sanabria’s
previously exhibited series of decadent doughnuts staged against black
backgrounds.
Here, a white cake stand balanced on two empty Ball
canning jars is topped with partially eaten Goo Goos and Moon Pies; a
wrapper and smashed box (displaying its “Made in Nashville” claim) are
also in the picture.
“Polished Key Limes” is a grid of 16 lime
halves, some a little worse for the wear, as though they’ve already been
squeezed into a beverage of some sort. All have been splattered with
pink glitter nail polish.
The Arts Company is at 215 Fifth Ave. N.
Hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. For information
call 615-254-2040 or go to theartscompany.com.